Google was nice enough to update their aerials. Not sure when they took the picture, but it does a good job of showing humps, mounds, channels, and some of the deep water windrows peaking through.

Lots of brush, trees, rock, etc added since then but hope it helps give a better perspective compared to bank shots.

At full pool water should back into the trees in the lower right corner of this picture. That's the area I call the "shallows" in the pictures.

The channel on the lower left runs up towards the culverts (they are just out of the picture) and at full pool you'll be able to drive a boat all the way around the humps just to the right of the long sharp point.

Didn't see that last update but thats Awesome! Nice that google updated now, you can keep that picture and hopefully in two years you can get a picture of it filled all the way. Frame those bad boys in the fish hut.

If you want to get crazy, get a bunch of those plastic nursery potting containers, and tie em together randomly in a big ball using zip ties and sink it. If you want to take it to the extreme, shove however many of those toy rubber balls into the containers it takes to float it off the bottom for a suspending brush pile.

I'm sunburned and beat. Somebody heard you can double your yield if you hand plant duck plots. This unconfirmed rumor lead to hand planting row upon row upon never ending row. Half way through we got smart and somebody suggested we spread and drag the other half like always to see which did better head to head. We'd still be out there planting if not for that stroke of genius.

When we finished everybody headed to the lake for a cool down swim. Got a few pics of the lake, but they're too big to post straight from the phone. It is 3 or 4" from being as full as it can be. Chocked full of bait fish and frogs right now. Bass Fry went in a couple weeks ago.

The bluegill are responding pretty well to hand feeding right now, but a plan was finalized for the fish feeder placement so they get fed more consistently.

I got to swim most of the lake and test the depths. Was very cool to feel the drop offs, humps, stumps, and ledges. One mistake we made was stacking the fish condos. They should work great because they're all ready getting covered in moss and algae, but we should have stacked them with 4 on the base instead of three because they're a little tipsy. Thanks again Dale for a great deal on the flue tiles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigWhey

What fish are going in it?

They stocked 2800 blue gill 1-3", 700 red ear 1-3" 150 red ear 3-5". Not sure how many minnows went in, but there are millions. The original plan was some shad, but that plan changed and 150 Tilapia were added. This weekend there were fish spawning on the gravel beds all ready. Really cool thing was seeing groups of 5-10 bull frog tadpoles swimming together. I've never seen it before. They look like aliens.

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkaholic9292

If you want to get crazy, get a bunch of those plastic nursery potting containers, and tie em together randomly in a big ball using zip ties and sink it. If you want to take it to the extreme, shove however many of those toy rubber balls into the containers it takes to float it off the bottom for a suspending brush pile.

There are a couple of deep spots where this would be perfect. Thanks for the great idea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShotCaLLa

Can't wait to see those, this is looking great!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antlers86

Post #161 says it's full....

Man I can't believe I'm just seeing this thread. Sweet lake! Can't wait to see the pics of it full.

No pics yet, but hopefully tomorrow if the office hasn't burned down this weekend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The General

Didn't see that last update but thats Awesome! Nice that google updated now, you can keep that picture and hopefully in two years you can get a picture of it filled all the way. Frame those bad boys in the fish hut.

Y'all gonna dove hunt around that tank?

Not too many dove out in this part of Texas for some reason, but if they show up we'll take a stab at 'em. The Shallows is going to be a wood duck monster for the next couple years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tilladaddy

When that bad boy fills up, that is going to be a lake of legendary proportion. Thanks for the updates.

Pictures of the forage fish. It is hard to see the bluegill and red ear under them in these reduced size, but they were lurking under the minnows. The third pic down shows them best. The ability for a first generation lake to make forage fish is amazing.

As far as 'going back in time' on Google.. Download Google Earth and in the bottom is toolbar that should show a date, in your case it will be 2014. If you click on it or somewhere around it, it should allow you to 'slide' the date back as far back as Google has dated. Best I can remember without looking at it, I don;t have Google Earth on this computer

And that is an absolute ton of bait fish. Does it look like that everywhere or are those just certain schools you came upon

As far as 'going back in time' on Google.. Download Google Earth and in the bottom is toolbar that should show a date, in your case it will be 2014. If you click on it or somewhere around it, it should allow you to 'slide' the date back as far back as Google has dated. Best I can remember without looking at it, I don;t have Google Earth on this computer

And that is an absolute ton of bait fish. Does it look like that everywhere or are those just certain schools you came upon

Learn something new everyday. Thanks General and southtexaslayer.

The bait fish are pretty much everywhere. All along the shores, and around the structure in the deeper parts of the lake. Was cool to see

The shallow area from as far as I could walk up the north shore in my flip flops. Forgot my phone when we toured it via boat, but you can get a fishing boat around the large tree in the back left by following the channel they cut with the dozer.

Same spot looking South onto the lake.

Standing at the culverts looking back North towards the boat house. The water on the other side of the culverts was one of the spots I took the minnow pictures.

Standing on the long sloping point looking towards the culverts. They're located at the end of the arm just beyond the grassy point you see in this picture.

Same spot on the sloping point looking towards the boat house. The trees in the middle of this picture are in 7-8' of water. The channel runs through the middle of them and it is 10-11' at this point.

Same spot on the sloping point looking towards the North shore line. To the right are the shallows.

Same spot looking into the shallow part on the far East side of the lake.

Wow just seeing this. As a life long die hard bass fisherman I'm going to have to say this place looks like a BIG Bass factory!!!!
Awesome work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patr357

This place looks awesome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The General

This has been a great build a long, thanks for takin us on the ride

Looking forward to some fish and duck pictures this fall

Quote:

Originally Posted by crek1311

That is one impressive lake

Thanks for following. Always enjoy sharing a fun project

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkelbe

Get some Camelot Bell fish in there, and start culling to keep the numbers down, and I bet you can catch double digit fish all day.Once they get to that size.

Not sure what strain of Bass went in, but the goal is BIG bass not lots.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackh

Just now saw this and it is awesome.

What kind of boats do they run? That one picture looked like a gheenoe.

Aren't yall worried about the big trees in the "duck hole" dying now that theyre under water?

They have a gheenoe. It is one cool little boat. The trees in the duck hole will die for sure. They are in 8+ feet of water. I started calling it that bc the duck hunter in me wanted it to stay shallow in that area. We'll probably cut those trees in the next year to have some more lay down in the pond.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flattopjeff

looks like a lot of work...will follow

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper33

great update. I love this thread, you have one really good friend lol

Thanks. Their whole family is great.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dieselman

Looks sweet !

Quote:

Originally Posted by dc1211

Wow!
Livin the dream!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoggslayer

I haven't commented on this thread yet because I'm so jealous. Man..... That's a fine looking place you got there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hunter98

That is a thing beauty

Quote:

Originally Posted by PBUCKSHOT

TTT cuz everyone needs to see this. Greatness man. Gonna be a blast to fish in.

Thanks again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBRU

Looks awesome. How are long are you going to let the forage fish go before stocking with bass

I know that you said no catfish, but can I suggest a few channel catfish. The reason for this is you are going to get mudcats from some where no matter what you do. Channel cats are a natural predator to mudcats. They eat the eggs, etc. Channels are not bad about over populating a still water impoundment, but mud cats really are. I had one 10 acre pond when I bought my place that had so many that you caught them all day on spinner baits. I added soem channels and cleaned them up pretty well. Never catch a small one any more. The only ones left are the ancient world record sized mud cats that become buzzard bait when we catch one.
I've followed this along and that truly is a magnificent project and a great testament to you for documenting it. Great job!